Walking After You
by runaway angel
Summary: ::seiftis:: Sometimes we have to let go of our pride and walk after those we have lost yet still love.


Disclaimer: Square owns FFVIII. The song "Walking After You" is by the Foo Fighters.

A/N: My stab at writing a song-fic. I hope you like it.

**Walking After You**

            She walked alone in the quiet streets of Deiling, the wind allowing her loose golden tresses to glide through the air. Quistis Trepe never appreciated solitude. It only made her feel lonely and gave her a time to think, to think about the past, _their past._

****

**_Tonight I'm tangled in my blanket of clouds_**

**_Dreaming aloud_**

****

****How she wished the past were the present, the past wherein he and she were together. They were both 16, so young and so new to love. Many were surprised to see them together, he being the arrogant troublemaker and she being the perfect role model for all SeeD aspirants. Yet somehow, the blonde couple managed to handle it all. The sweet feeling they found present in each other made it possible, the sweet feeling called love.

            _But the same fate that brought the two opposites together decided to break them apart._

Headmaster Cid decided to make the 17-year-old girl an instructor. She was extremely delighted about her promotion that she hastily ran to his dorm to tell him about the good news. She was surprised to find him staring at the window, smoking. He quit the nasty habit when they started going out. She knew that something was terribly wrong.  Nevertheless, she approached him and excitedly told him about her promotion. Much to her surprise, he didn't move, didn't face her, nor replied. He just continued inhaling the gray smoke forming around him. 

"What's wrong, Seifer? Aren't you happy for me? I'm going to be an instructor," she said with a tinge of disappointment in her voice. 

"…" 

"Seifer? Is something bothering you?" she softly said as she wrapped her arms around his still form. 

He kept silent and brashly freed himself from her embrace. 

            "What the hell is your problem?" a hurt and confused Quistis cried.

            He averted his gaze on the window and towards the blonde SeeD. "You wanna know what's my fucking problem?" he furiously yelled as he angrily threw the half-finished cigarette on the floor. He strode towards the petrified girl and grabbed her wrists with his large hands. His dark emerald pools glared at her aquamarine ones. "Well, how does it feel, Quistis? Tell me." 

            "Seifer, what are you talking about?" she softly said as she struggled to free her wrists from his powerful grasp.

            "Oh quit all the bullshit, Quistis! Oh, I mean INSTRUCTOR!" he cried as he released his tight grip on her wrists.

            "Instructor?"

            "You heard me right! You're going to be my INSTRUCTOR, my fucking girlfriend's gonna be MY hyne-damned instructor!" he barked, his body shaking in rage.

            "I didn't know you were going to be under my class," she stuttered, her eyes starting to water.

            "Well now you know!" he said as he turned his back on her.

            "Seifer," she whispered as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

            "It's over, Quistis." he said in a monotonous tone. "It's over."

            She was speechless. All those months of being together, all those experiences they shared, all those promises of everlasting love, gone. Gone because of his damned arrogance. "We could still work things out." She whimpered. No, she wouldn't give up on their love. He was her everything, her reason for living, her sole treasure in life. And he ignored her. 

"Seifer, please!" she pleaded.

            He exited the room, not even giving her a final look nor word. Quistis Trepe fell on her knees and cried.

            The two never spoke with each other outside the classroom since that heartrending day. There were times wherein she wanted to sacrifice her career just to feel his touch, hear his sweet nothings, and taste his sweet lips once more.  Yet, her position as an instructor was the only thing that mattered to her. It was the only thing she had. It hurt her so much to see him every single day in her classroom, flirting with the other SeeD cadets and constantly insulting her with his ridicules and sarcasm.  She countered all these by favoring one of her students, the silent and lone Squall Leonhart. She could see his eyes turn green with envy every time she praised the other gunblade specialist. And she enjoyed it. They played a game of making each other jealous, demeaning each other's minds and trying to best each other. Yet in the end, it was Quistis who lost. Seifer went away on a journey to reach his dreams of becoming a valiant knight, blinded by his desire for fame and power, not even realizing the evil that lurked within. And not even knowing the fact that Quistis still held strong feelings for him. She tried to reach out to him, joining Squall and his team in their quest to defeat the sorceress, wishing she could get him back. They were able to beat the sorceress, bring peace and order back to the world, and receive the respect and praises of everyone in the Garden. But she felt empty despite all their accomplishments. She had failed herself and her only love. She had lost him.__

_            He was gone forever yet her love for him remained, along with her regret and sorrow._

**_Things just wont do without you_**

**_Matter of fact_**

**_I'm on your back_**

            Quistis let out a long sigh of defeat and continued walking. Reminiscing about Seifer always made her heart twinge in pain.  "_It's all in the past now. He's gone, Quistis. Why can't you just accept it?"_ Her life seemed to be of no purpose since he left. She allowed a single tear to stream down her face, a single tear for a lost love.

            She stood there, frozen as she saw a familiar gray trench coat ahead of her, the moonlight illuminating his messy golden hair. "No, it can't possibly be," she murmured under her ragged breath. She felt her heart beating faster as she walked after the towering figure.

**_I'm on your back_**

****

****She took the time to gaze at his back form. His trench coat, once a symbol of his superiority and power, was filthy and tattered in the bottom. His flaxen hair, which she always gently stroked before, was disheveled and longer. She noticed that he still had that cocky walk of his, powerful strides instead of steps. She found herself falling for his strong profile once more, even if he had his back turned away from her.

**_I'm on your back_**

****

****"Seifer!" She softly cried. The towering figure halted in his tracks and faced the blonde woman at his back. Quistis found herself face-to-face with the only man she loved and longed for. His face was unshaven and quite grimy, his figure not as muscular as before. Yet despite these physical changes, she couldn't help but fall for him.

            "Instructor." he said. His voice was so low and inaudible that Quistis could have sworn he was ashamed.

She stood there speechless, not knowing what to say. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how stupid she was for easily giving up, how she waited for so long to speak to him once more and how she wished they were together once again. Yet her pride and cool exterior took over her as she said, "Come back to the Garden, Almasy. I'm sure Headmaster Cid and Matron will forgive all your misdoings." She sounded like his superior, an Instructor reprimanding her rebellious student.  But she didn't want it to sound that way. Try as she might, she just couldn't conceal her feelings for him.

            "Fuck off, Quistis!" he growled as he continued in his tracks.

**_If you'd accept surrender_**

**_I'll give up some more_**           

**_Weren't you adored_**

****

****"Seifer, please, hear me out." she implored as she softly yanked his arm. 

            "I don't have time for your stupid admonishments, dear Instructor. So would you just please leave me alone!" he cried, his emerald eyes narrowing into slits.

            "Please, return to the Garden with me, Seifer. It would be best for you." 

             He placed his arm on his hip and bit his lower lip. "Return? Give me one good reason why I should return to the Garden, oh ever intellectual Instructor!" he scoffed.

**_I cannot be without you_**

**_Matter of fact_**

**_I'm on your back_**

****

****She knew the answer to his question deep inside her heart. "_You should return cause I need you, I need you to make my life worth living for."_ she spoke in her thoughts. But still, her mind wouldn't allow her to speak what her heart felt.

**_If you walk out on me_**

**_I'm walking after you_**

****

****"See! You can't even think of one fucking reason for me to come back!" he snarled.

            Trying to regain her composure, she calmly replied as formally as possible, "Just as I said Seifer, it would be best for you. I'm sure that the Headmaster and Commander will give you another chance. The Garden will surely forgive you. You could even start your SeeD training once more."**__**

****"Since when did you became so slow, Instructor?" he cried. "I betrayed the Garden, aided the Sorceress, heck, I even tried to kill everyone, including you! And you think I could just waltz back to the Garden and ask for everyone's pity and forgiveness and pretend that nothing happened? Fuck no, Quistis! I may have lost everything but I still have my pride! And I ain't gonna let anyone, not even you, take it away from me!" he paused for a while to catch his breath. "So just quit that stupid and useless act of yours and leave me alone!" he gave the shaken Quistis one last glare and started walking away once more. 

**_If you walk out on me_**

**_I'm walking after you_**

            "Seifer, wait, please!" she cried. The tone of her voice showed the she was desperate to stop him from walking away.

            "Just leave me alone! Go fawn over your dear Puberty Boy or fuck those inane Trepies of yours!" he yelled, not even stopping in his walk nor looking at her.

**_Another heart is cracked in two_**

**_I'm on your back_**

****

****His words stung her heart deeply. How could he say such boorish words about her? Didn't he even know that her heart only contained him, not those damned Trepies, not even Squall? She fought the urge to cry and continued following him. Every step towards the cold man slowly shattering her heart, letting her lose all her senses, making her go crazy.

****

**_I cannot be without you_**

**_Matter of fact_**

**_I'm on your back_**

****

****The rain started to fall, adding to the wretchedness of the scene. Yet not even the forces of nature could stop the two in their tracks. 

            She started to snivel in fear of losing him once again. No, she wouldn't allow that to happen. She learned her lesson after spending months blaming herself for their break-up. Her emotions took a hold of her, freeing her soul from her pride and introversion. "I love you, Seifer! I still fucking love you!" she cried, her tear-streaked face displaying emotions of pain, distress and despair. 

**_I'm on your back_**

            He stood there, motionless after hearing Quistis' words. He slowly faced the crying blonde. His heart ached as he saw her sobbing. Never in his entire life did he saw Quistis as desperate and feeble as she was now. How he wanted to hold her in his arms and apologize to her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Yet his pride wouldn't allow him to do so. He broke the stare between them and shook his head. He gave Quistis one last apologetic look and walked away.

****

**_I'm on your back_**

            The rain fell harder, its trickles hitting the earth with all its might. Her once glorious hair was tousled and drenched in the rain. Her eyes once gleaming with life, were empty and red from all her crying. Her casual peach outfit, which she always wore, was soaking wet not only because of the downpour but also because of her tears. Yet she didn't care. She screwed things up once again. He was gone. She silently cursed herself for being so foolish while furiously hitting herself with her shaking palms. Yet no amount of cussing or self-torture could change the fact the Seifer Almasy was forever gone, gone from her sight and her life.

**_If you walk out on me_**

**_I'm walking after you_**

            Her sobs grew louder as she realized that the reality of life triumphed once more. The chilly wind enveloped her as if it was trying to comfort her crestfallen spirit. She shivered as she felt its cold presence along with the constant downpour. 

**_If you walk out on me_**

**_I'm walking after you_**

****

****Never in her entire life did she feel so weak and helpless as she was now.  Alone in the rain, she stood, not knowing what to do, not knowing how to go on, not even knowing why she should continue living. How she wanted to die at that very moment.

            Yet a single action changed her mind.

**_If you walk out on me_**

**_I'm walking after you_**

She felt his strong arms around her as he placed his trench coat over her, his arms tightening into an embrace. She closed her tear-strained eyes, relishing his presence, inhaling his intoxicating scent, feeling his warm tears on her neck.  

"I'm sorry Quistis."  He whispered as he rested his forehead on top of her head, the fragrant smell of her golden tresses driving him insane. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't speak." she murmured as she faced him. She placed her finger on his soft wet lips, tracing its contours. She slowly looked up and found herself drowning in his emerald eyes. 

He melted as he saw her staring at him intently. "_Hyne, she's beautiful." _he mused_._ "_And she loves you."_ He gently stroked her damp tousled locks, detangling them, his eyes never leaving hers. "Quistis," he sighed.

Her heart soared as he placed his lips upon hers. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, passionately kissing him back, thanking Hyne with all the praises she could muster. She slowly broke from the kiss, gasping for air.  She leaned her head on his muscular chest, feeling his heart pound. How she wished she could freeze time and stay in his arms forever. 

"Promise me, Seifer. Promise me that you'll never go." she whimpered.

He tightened his embrace on her and gave her forehead a light kiss. "I wont, Quistis. I wont."__

_The rain washed away everything that happened in the past, cleansing the two souls, providing them a new tomorrow to spend with each other._

A/N: Did ya like it? I hope you did. Anyway, don't forget to review. Your reviews make me extremely happy and inspire me to write more!


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